


The Reluctant Soul Wench

by Julieoftarth (Wherethereissmoak)



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Comic-Con, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2019-11-08 02:58:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17973176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wherethereissmoak/pseuds/Julieoftarth
Summary: There's just something about that sword expert at the comic convention panel that interests Jaime Lannister.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started this fic back in November, and haven't finished it yet. But it's in progress. Typically I don't start posting fics until they are completely done, but the prompt for JB hype countdown was a comic convention and I already had this WIP going and didn't want to waste it. Good incentive to get writing. :) 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

Brienne tried to push out the wrinkles in her shirt and patted down her hair one more time. Not that she could do much to improve her appearance, but she had to at least try.

This was her very first panel she was presenting at, and she wanted to make a good impression.

Since Love and War in Westeros, the medieval era-themed television show, had taken off into a runaway hit, Brienne’s sword knowledge had been in high demand. She was a consultant and fight choreographer on the show and had been asked to contribute her skills to other productions now that she was making a name for herself.

When the comic book convention asked Brienne if she wanted to do a panel on sword fighting, she was hesitant at first. The thought of getting up and talking in front of all those people was nerve-wracking, but the show was pushing to have a big presence on the convention circuit this year and she couldn’t say no.

“But really, how many people wanted to know about medieval weaponry anyway,” her friend Margaery, the clothing designer on the show, asked when she complained about her nerves. “Maybe not that many people will come. It’s not like fashion, where you have those who are into it for the cosplay as well.”

Brienne just rolled her eyes at Margaery’s complaints about the large audience she would have for her panel. In truth, the girl would be in heaven with that many people paying attention to her every word.

She would be on the panel with Gendry Waters, the weapons creator for the show, and Sandor Clegane, one of the fighting stuntmen. Gendry was a babbling mess half the time, Clegane was gruff and rude, and Brienne would rather a hole swallow her up in the ground than speak.

This panel was going to be a disaster.

Brienne tugged on the leather cuff on her wrist, wishing she had worn the looser one today. Now that she was in public so much, she covered her soul mark as most people did, but she hated the feeling of the cuff on her arm. At least she had stood up to Margaery who had tried to get her to wear a dress today. That would make her doubly uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Margaery was right and there weren’t that many people in the audience for her panel. Brienne was glad that she didn’t have a large audience but a little disappointed that there wasn’t more interest in the topic.

The audience members that were there seemed very into the discussion though, and Brienne found herself able to answer most of their questions passionately.

Until this obnoxious guy came forward. Seeing that he was the last in line for questions and there were still 30 minutes left, he pulled a list out of his pocket.

And then proceeded to question just about every decision she made on the show. He had the knowledge, she would give him that. More than the average person that was into swords, but he seemed to think he was better than her at swordplay.

The man was handsome, with blonde hair that fell into his eyes and a shaggy beard that did not cover the smirk on his face when he talked to her and even called her the show’s “sword wench.”

She looked to the other men on the panel to chime in, but Gendry was distracted by some cosplay weaponry in the front row, and Sandor thought all of it was amusing.

“How long did you train before you felt you were qualified to try to teach people historically accurate swordplay?”

Brienne rattled off her credentials, feeling smug when he looked impressed.

“Yes, but since you are a fake sword wench, have you ever held a real sword?”

If Brienne had a sword handy, she would use it to skewer the man.

“Yes, I have held many swords.”

This made the man smirk even more. “I would never have expected such a thing from an innocent maid such as you.”

Brienne blushed, and Clegane burst out in laughter. “I like this guy,” he said gruffly. “Anyone who can make you embarrassed like that is all right in my book.”

“I meant actual swords, sir,” Brienne stated through gritted teeth.

“Any famous ones?”

“Oathkeeper, for one.”

The man looked impressed again. He must really know his swords.

“How interesting. I have held its twin, Widow’s Wail,” he said. Brienne wondered where he had gotten his hands on such a sword, for it was owned by a wealthy family and rarely brought out to the public.

“Do you really sword fight, or is it just for show? Do you have book knowledge but not actual skill with the sword?” The man continued with his questioning. Brienne could not believe the audacity of this man, questioning her skills.

“Of course I’m good with a sword, one of the best. No one has beaten me yet,” she declared, and the arrogant man raised an eyebrow.

“Can we have a demonstration?”

Brienne was glad that she had brought her wooden sparring swords in case the panel had gotten slow and she and Clegane needed to liven things up. She passed one of the swords to him.

“Oh, I didn’t mean demonstrate with him. I meant a fight with me,” the obnoxious man from the audience said.

“I’m not going to fight with a random stranger from the audience, there are liability issues.”

“I hereby waive any liability, and all these people in the audience are my witnesses,” he declared. Brienne would have expected the audience to be bored by one person asking the same questions over and over, but they were very attentive to the conversation between Brienne and this lunatic.

“It wouldn’t be fair,” Brienne argued.

“Yes, it would, I’ve had training. Or are you afraid to fight me?” He had a teasing tone to his voice, but Brienne could see the challenge in his eyes. Gods, he was really enjoying this. Well, he wouldn’t be enjoying himself when she knocked him on his ass.

Brienne through the wooden sword at his feet. “Fine, but if you get injured, I will take no responsibility for your foolishness.”

“And what if you get hurt, sword wench?”

“I won’t, no one ever has,” she explained.

“Well, I’m strong enough.” And with that he raised his sword, ready to fight.

**

Jaime Lannister was having the time of his life, and to think, he hadn’t wanted to come today. Myrcella and Tyrion had begged him to accompany them to this comic book convention today. It wasn’t his thing, but he had made a promise that he would spend less time at work and more time with the people in his family that were actually tolerable.

For the most part, the convention was enjoyable. He enjoyed checking out the merchandise, especially the swords and armor. But when his brother and niece wanted to wait in a long line to meet some actor, that sounded like the most boring thing in the world to him. They suggested he pop into a panel while they waited.

He reviewed the booklet and found the section on Love and War in Westeros, his favorite show. He was delighted to see that a panel on the swords and fight choreography was coming up. Jaime had a passion for swords since he was a boy and it had not waned with age.

His family had an extensive collection, including the famous Widow’s Wail, and he had also convinced his father to pay for him to take sparring lessons when he was a teenager. Little did his dear old dad know, but Jaime paid to continue his training as an adult.

He was so skilled that his instructor was begging him to compete, but Jaime knew that his father would yell about it looking bad against the family to have a son that was pursuing such trivial activities. So, Jaime trained in secret, using his sparring matches to blow off steam.

When he entered the panel room, he was surprised to see that it wasn’t that full. The show was arguably the highest rated on television, but not that many seemed to care about the weaponry particulars, Jaime supposed.

The panel was made up of a nervous looking young lad, a huge beast of a man with half of his face scarred and a unique woman the likes of which he had never seen. He had to do a double take to make sure that she was indeed a woman.

Her tall frame resembled that of a man, were it not for a slight indent at her hips. Her hair was cut short, the one thing that she could have kept to prove her femininity. Her face was ugly too, with freckles and a smile that left a lot to be desired. But her eyes…those were breathtaking. The kind that could knock you back with one look.

And she knew her stuff. Jaime had never heard a woman who could speak so passionately about swordplay. It was probably all academic though. She probably didn’t have the experience of physical fighting. Jaime took a small notebook out of his jacket and started jotting down questions for her. He got in the back of the question line.

Jaime noticed the woman, Brienne Tarth, would turn a bright shade of pink whenever anyone asked her a question. Sure, she answered all of them professionally, but he had the distinct feeling that she would rather be anywhere but in front of a crowd of people. Very interesting. For some reason, Jaime found that he wanted to produce that blush.

When it was his turn, he asked every single question on his list. He even flirted with her and was delighted when her pink blush became a beet red. His crowning glory moment was when he questioned her skills. He thought she might try to murder him, and Jaime thought that might be a magnificent thing to see, this angry storm wench charging at him.

So, he challenged her to prove it. And now he was in a room full, well about a quarter full, of people, sword fighting. Good thing he had been taking sword fighting lessons since he was just a boy.

Brienne was good, if not a little bit obvious with her moves due to her facial expressions. It had been a long time since Jaime was so evenly matched. He stopped going easy on her and fought full force, their wooden swords kissing swiftly. He decided to play a little dirty and swept her leg with his to knock her off her feet. She responded by grabbing his arms, flipping him over her head and pinning him to the ground. She was straddling him, and it was the most turned on he’d been in his entire life.

He didn’t care that the whole audience was watching, he wanted to grind up into her and show just how aroused he was in this moment.

She must have felt it, however, because she scurried up and off of him quickly.

“The panel is over, we have to move out for the next group,” she said in almost a whisper. The shade of red now seemed the permanent hue of her face.

“Giving up so soon, wench? I think that means I’m the victor!”

“I had you pinned!”

“I didn’t yield!”

The two of them stared angrily at each other for a moment before she turned and marched away. Gods, she was an ornery, cantankerous creature. He wished she didn’t have to go.

**

Brienne stormed past a confused looking Margaery who was setting up for the next panel and rushed to the bathroom.

This was not how she thought her day would turn out. She just had a sparring match at the comic book convention with a handsome and arrogant jerk of a man. And she had beaten him, no matter how much he would deny it. Brienne closed her eyes and remember the moment of her sitting on top of him, and the look of lust in the man’s eyes. Brienne was not used to being on the receiving end of such looks, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

In that very moment, she felt hot. All that blushing had gone to her skin and she was likely permanently flushed, Brienne thought. Once she was in the bathroom, she jerked off her sweater, now drenched from her workout during sparring.

No, not cool enough yet. She jerked off the leather band that was covering the soulmark on her wrist. Brienne smiled down ruefully at the two swords crossing. How appropriate for this moment.

Still not cooled down, she turned the water on in the sink, cupped water in her hands and splashed it on her face.

“Oh, screw it,” she said before putting as much as her head she could fit in the sink under water. The cool liquid wet her hair down and provided some relief. Brienne heard one of the stalls open and immediately stood back up, her wet hair dripping water down her face and back in trails.

A young woman with long blonde hair just stood there looking at her with wide eyes.

“Um, I’m so sorry. Here you can use the sink to wash your hands. I just wasn’t feeling very well,” Brienne tried to explain.

The young lady nodded and gave her a look of sympathy before moving to wash her hands. Brienne grabbed some paper towels out of the dispenser and started to dry her hair. “Are you enjoying the convention?”

The woman nodded and smiled at her. “Yes, I just got to meet Trystan Martell. He’s so dreamy.”

When the girl turned toward her to grab a paper towel, her eyes widened when she saw Brienne again.

“What? Did the water do something weird to the eye makeup my friend made me wear?” Brienne asked but then noticed that the girl’s eyes were not focused on her face but her wrist. On her soulmark, to be more precise.

“That’s your soulmark?” she asked in a whisper, almost reverently. Brienne was suddenly embarrassed. Showing off your soulmark in public was usually something that was not done. You used online registries to find your mate if you were interested. Walking around with them flashing everywhere was just asking for trouble.

“Yeah, it is, sorry,” Brienne said, hastily grabbing her cuff and putting it back on.

“No, wait! Can I see it?”

The young lady had an eager look in her eyes, that could only mean one thing.  

“Why, do you know someone with a similar mark?”

The girl nodded and Brienne reluctantly held her hand out to her. She all but squealed when she got a closer inspection of the mark.

“I knew it – totally a match! You are my uncle’s soulmate!”

Brienne couldn’t help but gape at the girl. That soul mark has always been there, a part of her, an abstract thought. As a little girl, she had dreamed of who might be her match. But the older, more jaded and pragmatic version of Brienne hadn’t even expected to have a match out there and had written the whole thing off. Besides, she kind of did not like the idea of not being in control of her own fate.

“Really? Are you certain?”

The girl nodded enthusiastically and pulled out her phone. “Can I take a picture of it, please?”

Brienne hesitated. Letting someone take a picture of your soulmark was a big issue of trust. What if she was a scammer of some sort? What if she got someone to get a tattoo that looked like her soul mark? She had heard of that happening with wealthier families.

But the girl looked so earnest, and it wasn’t like Brienne had much to be scammed, so she agreed.

“Okay, I have to go find my uncle, stay here, please,” the woman begged. Brienne looked down at her watch in dismay.

“I can’t, I have a demonstration in 10 minutes and I’m running behind.”

“Demonstration? What kind, where?”

“Swords – on the convention all floor.”

The other woman smiled at that. “Swords? Yes, you are definitely Uncle Jaime’s soulmate. Okay, I will find you, I mean, we will find you. Just please promise me you won’t leave the convention today until we have talked again.”

Brienne nodded and the girl looked relieved. She would probably show the picture to her uncle and it would not be a match and that would be the end of it. Young women were often the most obsessed with soulmarks because they were so in love with the idea of love. They made it their mission to find as many soul pairings as possible. Brienne was sure nothing would come of this.

“My name’s Myrcella by the way, and I will see you later, I PROMISE,” and with those words, the girl hurried out of the bathroom. Brienne was a little shaken by the incident but tried to brush it form her mind as she made her way to the convention floor.

I’m not the kind of girl that someone wants for a soulmate, she thought to herself. Surely the gods would not be so cruel to make someone stuck with me that could do a lot better.

Septa Roelle, who helped her father raise her after her mother died, had told Brienne how ugly she was and not worthy of love. And two swords for a birthmark was strange. Clearly, there couldn’t be someone out there in the world with such a mark.

By the time Brienne was a teenager, she had started to believe the woman’s words. But now the possibility that there was a match, knowing it would end in disappointment, Brienne almost wished she had not run into Myrcella.

Oh well, just focus on the work, she told herself as she began her sword demonstration to the delight of convention attendees.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime finds out about his soulmate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Sorry, it's been a month or so, but no, I didn't abandon this fic. :) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter.

“Uncle Jaime, come on, we’re going to be late. What if she leaves?”

Jaime let his niece pull him along through the convention, thinking she was excited about the meeting some other actress or something. It was impossible to keep up with these sort of things.

“Myrcella, I’m sure it will be fine. The people are here for several days. If you miss whoever you want to see, you can just come back tomorrow.”

She kept dragging him along. “No, I promised her I would come today, it has to be today. She didn’t believe me, so I have to show her.”

Now the young woman was not making much sense.  They passed the actor area, and Jaime was seriously wondering where his niece was dragging him.

They stopped in front of a caged-in enclosure where sword fighters were having a match. Jaime watched as the two people, dressed in full suits of knight’s armor, fought as a display for the crowd. They were very talented, especially the one in the gold armor. That knight trounced the other, to the amazement of those gathered.

They were even more amazed when the knight took off her helmet to reveal that she was a woman, the very one he had just sparred with earlier. His heart started thumping in his chest. Gods, she was glorious. Her reveal as a badass woman gained her thunderous applause from the crowd, except for a few dudes who muttered under their breath about how women should not be allowed to hold swords.

“I know this woman, Myrcella, she was in my last panel. Is this who you were so keen to meet? She’s a little rough around the edges, and not the type I would expect you to fangirl over.”

His niece turned to him and leveled him with a look that could freeze water. “Oh, I’m not the type that would fangirl over strong amazing women, Uncle Jaime?”

Jaime knew well enough to back out of the conversation. “Sure, you can, I’m just pleasantly surprised, that’s all.”

Myrcella accepted his praise and continued. “I’m actually not here to fangirl anyway. I promised her that I would bring you.”

“How would she know that you are related to me? I only just met her?”

“Um…it’s complicated. Brienne! Brienne! Over here!”

The woman in question turned and saw Myrcella. She was getting her armor removed, but came over to them as soon as she could.

“I brought my Uncle Jaime, Brienne, just like I promised.” Brienne turned and narrowed her eyes at him when she recognized him.

“ _You_ ,” she said.

“You! It’s good to see you again, sword wench!”

“Don’t call me that.”

“He’s the one that I told you about, Brienne.”

Her eyes widened and Myrcella’s words. The tall woman studied Jaime for a moment, and he almost squirmed under her gaze. Whatever she saw in him, she found him wanting.

“Don’t like what you see, sword wench? Don’t worry, I’m not interested,” he lied as a way of defense. Myrcella gasped and hissed his name, and Jaime wondered what had the girl so invested in his meeting Brienne.

“No, I’m sorry Myrcella, you are wrong. It cannot be true. I’m sorry,” Brienne said, before turning and walking away.

“Stop her, Uncle Jaime.”

“Why? What do I care if she wants to talk to us or not?”

Myrcella reached out and grabbed him by the wrist. She whipped off the leather cuff on his wrist, displaying the soulmark. “This is why Uncle Jaime. I saw hers in the bathroom. It’s a match.”

Jaime felt the world fall away around him. Could such a thing be possible? A soulmate match? Jaime had longed to find her his entire life, despairing when the years melted away and he was still alone. Was it possible that this tall, ugly and utterly astonishing creature was his other half?

And he had insulted her in every way possible this morning. He had to find a way to get her back.

Without even thinking of it, he left Myrcella and crossed in the direction of Brienne. Not realizing where he was going, he walked right through two other knights sparring and almost got himself cut. A strong arm reached in and grabbed him, pulling him away.

“What are you, some kind of idiot? You could have been killed!”

“They were just wooden swords!”

“Wooden swords can do a lot of damage. What were you thinking?”

“I wanted to talk to you,” he explained.

“I believe you said all you needed to say. And we even sparred a bit. What more can you possibly need to talk about?”

Jaime raised his uncovered wrist and soulmark at her. “This.”

Brienne just stared at the mark for a moment, not saying anything.

“I’m told you have a matching one on your arm. Come on, wench. I showed you mine, you show me yours.”

Brienne still didn’t say anything, didn’t even move. Jaime reached down and took her hand in his, not breaking eye contact.  An electric current ran between them, and he knew for sure at that moment what her mark looked like without even seeing it. He felt around for the clasp on her leather band.

Brienne’s eyes widened when he found it and snapped it open. She really did have astonishing eyes. He could look at them all day.

Keeping her locked in his stare, he pulled off the leather band and ran his thumb over where he knew the soul mark would be. He grinned when a shiver went through her. Finally, Jaime’s eyes dropped to her wrist and there it was – the soulmark. Two swords crossing, just like the exact same mark on his wrist.

Brienne started pulling her wrist out of his hand, but he didn’t want to let her go. Reluctantly, he finally let her slide her hand out, but when he met her eyes, he was surprised to find terror and doubt, rather than the joy and relief that he was feeling.

He had found his soulmate, and she was not happy about it, not at all.

“I have to go,” she said, trying to turn to leave again. Jaime panicked.

“Brienne…”

“Mr….uh…?” He realized she did not really even know him at all.

“Lannister, Jaime Lannister.”

“I’ve heard of you.”

“Brienne, listen, please don’t run. We finally found each other.”

She sighed and turned to him. “Mr. Lannister, I don’t know if this is some kind of cruel joke the gods are playing on you or me, or if we really are soulmates. But I am not suited for someone like you, and I already know we are not a match.”

He cocked his head at her. “The marks don’t lie. But why do you think we can’t be a match?”

“Well, you’re you and I’m me,” she explained, but that really didn’t clear up anything. She turned to leave again.

“Brienne…”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Lannister…I can’t be your soulmate.”

Jaime scrambled to come up with something so that he wouldn’t lose her again.

“Okay, how about you take the afternoon to think and process all of this? This is huge news and I’m sure you want some time to yourself to consider it.”

Brienne nodded.

“Do you want to meet for dinner? Just dinner? No pressure or anything, I promise.”

“What if I decide never to see you again after that?”

“Then the few hours we spent together will have been worth it.”

She blushed at his words, and it filled Jaime with a little bit of hope.

“I’m sorry I’m not the type of girl you were expecting,” she said softly.

Jaime looked her up and down again. Something about her drew him in, even before their sparring session at the panel. He needed to find a way to relieve those doubts in her.

“You may not have been exactly what I expected, but I have a feeling you might be perfect just as you are,” Jaime said, and she blushed again. He could get used to that blush.

“Okay, fine, I will meet you for one dinner after I think about this whole soulmate thing this afternoon, but don’t get your hopes up.” Brienne didn’t meet his eyes when she said it, and he couldn’t help but wonder what was troubling her so much about the concept of being connected to him. He knew that there were rumors about his dishonorable deeds from the past that had circulated the newspapers a few years back – could it be that she was embarrassed to be connected to him?

Well, he was a changed man, and he was looking forward to showing her how much. “What hotel are you staying in? The one next to the convention center?”

Brienne hesitated to answer.

“Relax Brienne, you don’t even need to give me your room number, I can meet you in the lobby.”

Finally, she told him the hotel information and they agreed to meet at 8 p.m.

She turned to leave and he stopped her, wanting at least one more moment together. “Someday, I can show you my family’s collection of medieval weaponry, including our Valyrian steel swords.”

Brienne’s eyes sparked with interest. At least he had one way of connecting with her. Hopefully, he could build from there.

His soul wench nervously said goodbye and walked away from him, and he couldn't help but grin when she stopped and picked up her sword on the way out of the convention hall. It had been so long since his friends and family around him had found their soulmates and started their lives together, and now that he had found his, he couldn’t wait to get to know her better.

**Author's Note:**

> There you go - hope you enjoyed it! Chapter 2 is done and will be posted sometime soon, I'm sure.


End file.
